Bridgetown (Barbados), May 09: New Zealand today pushed defending champions Pakistan to the brink of ouster from the Twenty20 World Cup after scoring a pulsating one-run win in their crucial Super Eights match here today.
Chasing 134 to win, Pakistan required 11 runs from the last over but paceman Ian Butler bowled two dot balls and took a wicket off the last ball to emerge hero for the Black Caps.
Rio De Janeiro, May 09: A football player in Brazil’s second division league collapsed on the field while playing a match, and died soon after, officials have said.
The incident took place on Saturday during a match between Cabofriense and Mesquita in the 13th round of the second division of the Rio de Janeiro state championship.
Mumbai, May 08: After CAG, Court and Opposition Parties criticism the Maharashtra Government has finally agreed to tax IPL. The government will impose entertainment tax on matches from next season.
The decision was taken last month by the state cabinet. However, the minutes of the meeting were confirmed in the yesterday’s cabinet meeting, Bhujbal said.
The opposition Shiv Sena-BJP attacked the government during the Assembly session last month for failing to impose tax on IPL matches during season three.
Mexico, May 08: A 21-year-old footballer who was active in the second category of Mexican football was shot dead in an apparent hold-up in southern Mexico City, his club said. Ademir Meza played for Pumas Morelos, the second team of Mexican football giants Pumas de la UNAM. He was shot dead late Thursday inside his car, on a Mexico City avenue. Police said the defender had resisted an attempt by two people travelling in another vehicle to rob him.
Bridgetown (Barbados), May 08: Sri Lanka defeated the West Indies by 57 runs in their Group F match in the Super Eights of the World Twenty20 at the Kensington Oval here Friday.
Chasing a target of 196, West Indies made 138 for eight in 20 overs.
—-IANS
New Delhi, May 08: Suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi today ridiculed the BCCI’s second show cause notice for allegedly planning a ‘rebel’ Twenty20 league in England, saying it has become a part of life for him to be treated as “public enemy number one” by the Board.
“It’s a part of life. I have been public enemy number one for the BCCI for a long time now,” Modi said when asked for his reaction to the notice issued to him a couple of days ago.
Karachi, May 08: Worried about poor fielding performance in the ongoing World Twenty20, Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has decided to set up an academy to train youngsters become quality fielders.
Pakistan’s fielding nightmare began during the disastrous tour of Australia earlier this year and touched a new low when they dropped five catches to go down to England in the Super Eights.
“I will soon set up an academy for youngsters with the main aim of providing quality fielders to the national side,” the maverick pacer said on a TV show Saturday.
Bridgetown (Barbados), May 08: Handed a sound thrashing by Australia in their opening Super Eight match, India will have to quickly sort out their batting woes as they take on the West Indies in a do-or-die contest in the Twenty20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval here tomorrow.
Like the Indians, west Indies are also faced with a must-win situation, as another defeat would virtually put them out of contention for a place in the semifinals.
Jaipur, May 08: Having experimented a bit with his technique in the past one year, ace Indian double trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi heads for the ISSF World Cup in London, confident of fetching medals and breaking records.
Talking to PTI, just before leaving for London via Italy, Sodhi who had equalled the world record thrice in past two years, said the current year was a big one in the international shooting arena.
“I am leaving for London for the World Cup which would kick off from May 11. I have my competition on May 16 so I would also stay for 2-3 days in Italy,” Sodhi said.
Krachi, May 08: The reason behind defending champion Pakistan’s floundering campaign in the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies is the lack of confidence among Shahid Afridi’s men, feels discarded all—rounder Sohail Tanvir.
Tanvir, who missed out on selection for the tournament because of a knee injury, said Pakistan is low on confidence at the moment and that is hampering the team’s efforts.
Tanvir, who was a member of World Cup squad last year that won the title in England, said Pakistan will have to raise the game by several notches to remain in the hunt.
Bridgetown, May 08: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is adamant his side can cope with fast bowling at the World Twenty20 despite their dramatic collapse during a 49-run loss to Australia here on Friday.
Chasing a stiff target of 185 for victory, Dhoni’s men slumped to 23 for four and were bowled out for 135 in their opening second round clash.
Australia left-arm quick Dirk Nannes, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, did the initial damage on his way to figures of three for 25 before fast bowler Shaun Tait followed up with three for 21 on a lively Kensington Oval pitch.
Bridgetown (Barbados), May 08: Mahela Jayawardene hammered an unbeaten 56-ball 98 and added 166 runs with Kumar Sangakkara (68) to guide Sri Lanka to a comprehensive 57-run win over the West Indies in their Group F Super Eight match in the Twenty20 cricket World Cup here.
Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka rode on Jayawardene’s innings which was laced with nine fours and four sixes and Sangakkara’s 49-ball 68, which included five fours and three sixes, to post an imposing 195 for three yesterday.
Mexico City, May 08: A 21-year-old footballer who was active in the second category of Mexican football was shot dead in an apparent hold-up in southern Mexico City, his club said.
Ademir Meza played for Pumas Morelos, the second team of Mexican football giants Pumas de la UNAM. He was shot dead late Thursday inside his car, on a Mexico City avenue.
Police said the defender had resisted an attempt by two people travelling in another vehicle to rob him.
Bridgetown (Barbados), May 07: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and asked Australia to bat first in the Group F Super Eight stage match of the Twenty20 World Cup here today.
Having recovered from a groin injury, vice captain Gautam Gambhir returned to the side at Dinesh Karthik’s expense, while Rohit Sharma replaced Piyush Chawla and Zaheer Khan took Praveen Kumar’s place.
Australia brought in Mitchell Johnson for Ryan Harris.
Teams:
New Delhi, May 07: The issue of N Srinivasan playing the dual role of Cricket Board secretary and co-owner of a franchise needs to be sorted out, according to suspended IPL Chairman Lalit Modi, who today said he has started the process of collecting all the documentary evidences pertaining to the matter.
Acting on former BCCI president AC Muthiah’s petition, the Supreme Court today issued a notice to Srinivasan, asking whether his ownership of the Chennai Super Kings IPL franchise constituted a conflict of interest.
New Delhi, May 07: The Supreme Court today issued a notice to BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan, who had stakes in IPL Chennai Super Kings franchise, on a petition filed by former BCCI chief A C Muthiah alleging conflict of interest.
Muthiah, in his petition, has challenged the validity of amendment made in BCCI rules, exempting those who have stakes in the IPL and Champions League from the ban on holding an office in the BCCI.
Bridgetown (Barbados), May 07: Pakistan coach Waqar Younis is a frustrated man after watching the pathetic fielding performance by his team during the six-wicket loss to England in their first Super Eight match of Twenty20 World Cup here.
“It can be very frustrating, the way we dropped the catches and the way we fielded,” said Waqar after the match.
Pakistan fielders put up a poor show as they dropped as many as five catches in the match, with off-spinner Saeed Ajmal putting down three himself.
New Delhi, May 07: The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the Indian cricket board and its secretary N. Srinivasan on a petition challenging India Cements’ holding in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings.
Srinivasan is the managing director of India Cements. The apex court notice to him and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) followed a petition by former BCCI president A.C. Muthiah.
Muthiah challenged the right of BCCI functionaries to have stakes in the IPL teams.
–IANS
New Delhi, May 07: ‘Our players are known for stealing singles.’ So was the punchline of PepsiCo Pakistan, which ran a print campaign to welcome Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik after their marriage.
Sania Mirza may no longer be a hot property with the Indian advertisers, but she’s all set to rock Pakistan’s advertising circle. From local companies such as Habib cooking oil, Malaysian Palm, Parker Fertilizers to big home-grown telecom companies such as Mobilink and Ufone GSM, all have jumped on congratulatory bandwagon welcoming Sania bhabhi with hoardings across the city.
Sofia, May 07: World champion Viswanathan Anand missed out on a chance to score a crucial victory and had to settle for a draw against challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the ninth game of the world chess championship now underway here.
Anand and Topalov are locked at 4.5-4.5 score with just three more encounters remaining in the 12-game affair. Anand, who blundered a drawn position in the eighth game, came back strongly to threaten to post his third victory in the match.
New Delhi, May 07: Suspended Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi faced further trouble on Friday after it emerged he tried to divide world cricket by proposing a parallel event in England.
The plan, revealed by England’s cricket chief Giles Clarke in an email to Indian officials, involved English county sides playing an IPL-style tournament featuring the world’s top stars.
Modi held a secret meeting with officials from three unnamed counties in New Delhi on March 31 to discuss the proposal without the knowledge of the concerned boards, according to the email.
Bridgetown, May 07: South Africa captain Graeme Smith was in a bullish mood ahead of his side’s World Twenty20 Super Eights clash against England here on Saturday.
Both teams will return to the Kensington Oval this weekend on the back of convincing wins on the first day’s play in the second round here on Thursday, with South Africa beating New Zealand by 13 runs and England defeating defending champions Pakistan by six wickets.
Bridgetown, May 07: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori gave his side a stark warning to improve their performance or forget about reaching the semi-finals of the World Twenty20.
The Black Caps suffered their first loss of this tournament when they began the second round Super Eights with a 13-run loss to South Africa that was more comprehensive than the raw result suggests.
New Zealand’s attack was hammered by man-of-the-match Albie Morkel, who struck five sixes in an innings that lasted just 18 balls.
Bridgetown, May 07: Pakistan coach Waqar Younis made no attempt to hide his frustration after the defending World Twenty20 champions poor fielding played a major role in their six-wicket loss to England.
For all their undeniable brilliance with bat and ball, Pakistan in recent times have been almost comically inept in the field.
But even by their own standards, Pakistan’s display against England at the Kensington Oval here on Thursday was something else.
Bridgetown, May 07: Kevin Pietersen seemed almost desperate to avoid tempting fate ahead of England’s World Twenty20 clash with his native South Africa despite his match-winning role against Pakistan.
Pietersen’s unbeaten 73 saw England cruise to a six-wicket win – their first in this tournament – over the defending champions at the Kensington Oval here on Thursday as they opened the second round Super Eights in some style.